Aerial vehicle.



A. BEURRIER & J. E. BIGOURDAN.

AERIAL VEHICLE.

APPLICATION HLED ocr. I6, 1913.

Patented July 20, 1915.

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coumnu A. BEURRIER & J. E. BIGOURDAN.

AERIAL VEHICLE.

APPLICATION F|LD 00.15.1913.

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A. BEURRIER 51]. E. BIGOURDAN.

AERIAL VEHiCLE.

APPLICATION nun OCT. 16. 1913 Patented July 20, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXIS BEUBBIER, OF THAIMS PAR COZES, AND JEAN EDOUARD BIGOURDAN, OF MAISSE, FRANCE.

AERIAL VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1915.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ALEXIS Bsummm and JEAN EDOUARD BIGOURDAN, citizens of the Republic of France, and residents of T haiuis par Cozes, Charente-Infrieure, and Maisse, Seine-et-Oise, France, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has reference to an aerial vehicle which acts as a helicopter, a gyroplane, an aeroplane, a glider and so on, and which at the same time forms a parachute without being specially designed in any of these systems, and without the systems which are not being employed interfering with that or those which are actively working.

According to this invention, the vehicle can rise vertically without the necessity of running along the ground or on any other surface, or it may follow an oblique ascending line: nevertheless it may also rise by horizontal displacement in the same way as an aeroplane. The said vehicle may also act as a glider for the flights in a descending line known as volplaning flights, or even follow a vertical line, or the resultant of the components of descent like the parachute.

According to the present invention, preference is given to the use of supporting, planes with contrary movements as de scribed in the French patent specifications Nos. 429,550, of September 19th 1910, and 417,989, of June 25th 1910, and the Belgian patent specification No. 219,377 of September 22nd 1909.

The vehicle, according to this invention, involves the entirely particular, special and novel construction of several parts forming a homogeneous and inseparable whole.

In the anncxcd drawing, given by way of example, and representing the subject matter of the invention, Figure l. is a perspective view of the vehicle. Fig. 2. isa longitudinal section. Fig. 3. is a transverse section. Fig. 4. shows one of the movable rudders seen in perspective. F ig. 5. is a detail view of the controlling gear of the movable rudders.

The principal part a, forming the carrying or sustaining surface is composed of one flat and one convex part, of a truncated oval form.

The front portion of the part a assumes a straight, horizontal form, flattened as far as possible so as to present only a thin and tapering body in order to diminish the resistunce of the air when in motion. This flattened portion begins to curve in oval form, from the truncated base, which is straight and horizontal and in the same plane, but somewhat farther on, the edges bend on both sides more and more toward the ground as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, continuing and retaining this inclined form toward the stabilizer or tail 0.

The portion a is hollowed out in the center a, and in this hollow the active surface or surfaces 01" a is or are mounted; these may for instance be the arrangements according to the French Patents Nos. 29,550, and 417,989.

It is evident that without violating the principle of the invention, any suitable active surface may be employed.

The edge of the hollow a is a regular circumference in a horizontal plane: a framework connects the part a with the body of the machine and at the same time serves as a support for the rotary parts of the active surfaces a a.

This framework b carries behind, the propeller d, connected with and mounted on the car, which may be of any suitable system, but preferably that of one of the French patents mentioned above. One of the principal characteristics of the invention consists in the arrangement of a framework c in which the horizontal shaft d of the propelling wings is mounted by the aid of sliding rod bearings f. The object of this arrangement is to allow the shaft (1 to move parallel to itself in the vertical plane, which enables the pilot to vary the center of thrust of the propeller, or the point of" application of its force on the machine, at any moment, even while flying.

In the front part of the surface a, the horizontal rudder is arranged, which is controlled from the pilots seat. The extent of its movements is regulated and limited by suitable means: at the back of the same part, a stabilizing surface 0 is provided: this is formed by a plane preferably trapezoid in form, inserted at its smaller base into a V- shapcd support with free arms on which the stabilizer is mounted by springs in such a way that it can oscillate slightly in a vertical direction.

The stabilizing surface 0 acts automatically and is not provided with any controlling gear, and acts in the manner of a stern oar.

' The guiding rudder h is formed by a surface or plane arranged vertically and pivotally mounted on the framework connecting the front part of the car with the surface a.

The car i tapers to an edge in front, and should be provided with a wind-screen i, not only to protect the pilot and passengers from the currents of air resulting from the speed of the machine itself and the rotation of the active propelling and sustaining surfaces, hilt furthermore to prevent harmful currents from passing into the air and affooting the progress of the vehicle, particularly during movements of ascent in vertical or nearly vertical planes.

The arrangement of the wind-screens t" is shown in the drawing merely as an indication. for their development and arrangement are subordinated to the variations resulting from the needs of construction.

In the front part of the car i on each side of the terminating edge, two surfaces In, L, (see Figs. 1, t, 5) are placed at an angle of 45 approximately and form the movable rudders.

These surfaces are formed by the periphery of a sector of a cone of which the apex is mounted on the flooring of the car by means of a pivot is while the opposite art 2 is furnished with a rack Z controlle by a corresponding pinion m.

The rotation of the pinions m allows the surfaces to be projected more or less from the car: that is to say they may present a protuberance more or less pronounced or be completely drawn into the car, in which case they do not present any projection. The movement of the surfaces 7.: is symmetrical, that is to say they are connected with one another and cannot move independently.

In ordinary weather, during the ascent, volplaning, horizontal living, and even during the descent, these ru( ders are drawn into the car and do not project externally at all: they are only intended to be used, for instance, in the event of a stoppage of the motor in the course of ascent before the vehicle has acquired any velocity. They also serve when desired by the pilot to change the line of vertical descent duria volplaning, and thus increase the force 0 the parachute.

The surfaccs Z: In are controlled by a device within reach of the pilot, com rising suitable means of transmission so t at the manipulation of the controlling gear produces a more or less accentuated projection outside of the car of the surfaces In, k, which oppose to the air on each side of the front of the car, two sectors of a cone presenting the concave surface downward and the gencratrix at the angle of about 45 to the horizontal mentioned above. As a consequence of the throwing, forward of the center of gravity of the whole system, the machine will incline upward and in this position, will present the most extended surface to the resistance of the air in the line of descent, so that the machine acts as a true glider and descends in an oblique line.

The stabilizing surface 0 rises as an effect of the upward pressure of the air, thus accentuating the forward thrust and increasing the horizontal direction.

According to this invention the aerial vehicle com rises a landing frame a, which is nearly lIl( ependent of it, and which is provided with wheels 0; these wheels are farnished with elastic tires, for instance pneumatic tires. The wheels 0 are mounted on metallic rods or tubes 0, but mounted in such a manner that each wheel, in addition to the elasticity which it derives from the pneumatic tire with which it is furnished, can also move in a vertical plane, describing the arc of a circle of which the center is the point 7); this movement is limited b an are or red 0" sliding in a suitable manner, thereby compressing a spring 0, a shoulder 7) limiting the movement and at the same time forming a shock absorber or buffer, and for this purpose it is composed of plates with interposed layers of soft substances, as for instance leather, indie-rubber, cork and so on.

The wheels are connected together in such a way that the form a rigid whole, so that directly one o the wheels comes in contact with the ground, or receives a shock, that shock is transmitted to the others.

On the landing frame a the air chamber 1 is mounted: the height of this is equal to that of the vertical sides of the cover, which serves at the same time as the floor of the car.

\Vhen the machine comes into contact with the ground, the shock is deadened in the first place by the pneumatic tires on the wheels, and the shock-absorbing springs; in the next place, the floor of the car descends, before the shock is transmitted to it, and consequently to the whole of the machine. The floor of the car descends the whole of the height of the sides of the air chamber 1 compressing the air which it contains as well as that contained in the telescopic tubes t connecting the car and the rest of the machine, and serving at the same time as guides.

The walls of the air chamber (1 are furnished with bands of more or less elastic material 1', for instance cork arranged to form a. system of small pockets tilled with air. The air chamber is furnished with an escape 8.

According to the invention the vehicle presents the maximum of stability and is not invertible in the air by reason of the position of the center of gravity of the machine 'which is very low and beneath the center of support.

The greater number of the operations are carried out automatically, independently of the regulation and of the action of the motor which may be of any suitable kind and type, as well as of the letting in and disengaging of the clutch and so on, and of the control of the active surfaces (supporting wings and so on).

Two fly wheels or hand wheels are moreover necessary to control the vertical and the horizontal rudders and also, in case of descent, abnormal descent and so on a control for the oblique rudders In, la.

The stopping of the rotary supporting surfaces results in the machine acting as a parachute.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In an aerial vehicle a su porting surface of truncated oval form lint having a llat and a convex portion, having a base, horizontal at its front edge and convex in Copies of this patent may be obtained tor its center, side flattened portions inclined downward thereon, the central part of the surface being recessed in the form of a circle to receive the supporting wings and other operating surfaces.

2. In an aerial vehicle a supporting surface of truncated oval form but having a flat and a convex portion, being horizontal at its front edge and convex in its center, side flattened portions inclined downward thereon, the central part of the surface being recessed in the form of a circle, means to support and means to propel said vehicle, and steering mechanism as described.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXIS BEITRRIER. JEAN EDOUARD BIGOURDAN.

W itnesscs as to signature of Alexis Bourrier:

FRANK M. Mason, Hanson O. Come. Witnesses as to signature of Jean Edouard Bigourdan: F. Mane/u, E. REVEILLAUD.

iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

